EarthDefine used the Minnesota tree cover data to create an interactive map of tree canopy for all cities in Minnesota that can be used to quickly compare woody vegetation between different cities. Another map of per capita tree cover in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan region illustrates how the data can be used to understand urban forest patterns in relation to a city's demographics. The Minnesota tree data can help planners assess urban tree canopy for any city in the state and also supports other applications like biomass estimation, wildfire risk monitoring, studying interactions between public health and tree cover, quantification of ecosystem services and improved modeling of stormwater flows.

EarthDefine used multiple terabytes of color infrared imagery flown in the summer of 2013 along with three-dimensional point cloud data from LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) available for most of Minnesota to create the seamless tree cover dataset. The LIDAR data was also used to create a Canopy Height Model (CHM) dataset that maps canopy heights across 73 counties in the state.

EarthDefine has previously released high-resolution tree canopy datasets that provide statewide coverage for Indiana and California. EarthDefine will continue to grow its SpatialCover Tree Canopy data product to cover more states over the next year by building on the best available orthoimagery and LIDAR data. For more information on EarthDefine products, please visit www.earthdefine.com.